Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: There is no way to get more perfect than this animation is, period. Animation is astonishing and the story is superb. I'm sorry for those who are satisfied with the "daa-daa" from Disney, I like it too, but this is one trend that should be followed. It's not to scary, it's less violent that "Lilo & Stitch". There is some blood, but everybody bleed when they get hurt, it's natural, people should get used to it, not scared of. And what a fantasy! I never seen anything so good since... EVER! It's true that US dubbing is the worst in the World. But with this DVD I'll be able to watch it in raw japanese with english subtitles! I can't wait to get it! You shouldn't too!!!
This movie is suitable for all ages, it's just beautiful. Don't take any annoying paranoic parent advice. Be free and let your children watch this awesome film knowing that the values transmitted by it are just the best.
Rating:
Summary: a good movie, if you like animes
Review: Well, this movie is indeed one of the best movies of 2001/2002. The Oscar for best animation movie adds to a list of various won prizes. For instance, it won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale in Germany Spring 2002. It was the first time ever, that an animation movie won this prize, since it resembles the German equivalent to the "Best Picture" category. I will not give a list of all the Top10 lists it is on here, there are to many.
Personally, I like this movie, since it reaches excellence in both technical as well narrative elements.
Though I also like fully CGI-animated movies, animes have the tendency to transport subtle feelings and changes of moods in a more realistic way. Spirited away tells a story that appeals to growing-ups and grown-ups. The hardship of Sen to survive in a world of ghastly and strange creatures, the responsibility for the faith of her parents and the necessarity to overcome her shyness and fears in order to save a friend dos not tell a new story. We have seen similiar plots in movies like "Stand by me" before. But this story of maturation is told in wonderful pictures, which delve deep into Japanese mythology and culture and comprise a lot of fascinating characters and places.There is one very disturbing point about this piece of art:
Although it has already been dubbed and shown in Germany, I canÂ't buy the DVD nor VHS here!!!
Rating:
Summary: A true masterpiece!
Review: Honestly, I'm not a fan of anime movies, but when I first watched this film, I was amazed. Everything was fantastic, the plot, the characters, and how Hayao Miyazaki payed so much attention to detail in Chihiro's quest to save her parents, and aid Haku. This movie is great for young and old, and I'm sure you would love this too. Hayao, you have really outdone yourself this time!
Rating:
Summary: Anime - Good. American Anime - Baaaaaad
Review: The Americans ruined Spirited Away (or at least set its quality down by 25%) just like they ruined other great anime (no S in pluralis) like Sailor Moon, Tenchi Muyo and Records of Lodoss War. At least they didn't cut the movie's length down this time, but they altered the dialogue, which is very disturbing as Disney would probably sue whatever country altered the dialogue in THEIR movies! If you're gonna dub a movie, at least use the original dialogue translated literally, but with SOME alterations for fluity. However, the movie is still worth a view, as it's still brilliant and can beat any Disney movie with great lengths. I've got my fingers crossed hoping that it'll win the 2003 Oscar for "Best animated movie"! As for the animation, it's in Ghibli Studios' standard style. Think "My Neighbour Totoro", only with better drawing and coloring techniques. But if you want real-life like anime, then you're out of luck. The animation is brilliant in its own special way, though. As for the part where Americans parents rant on and on about how scary the movie was: Oh, put a sock in it, will ya'! I was outraged when I found out that Americans parents wanted "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" banned from TV just because season 6 had a few love scenes! For a country that's supposed to stand for freedom and intelligence, the parents are quite naive. They raise the children in such a bad way that they get scared by "Spirited Away", which I personally wouldn't have found scary when I was 6-10. (I'm 17 now) Yes, the movie does start off slowly and you do sit there sometimes and ask yourself "What the heck just happened here?", but once it starts getting good, it only gets better! Definitely worth a view if you want a movie that's not the typical "Big scary monsters to fight, boy and girl, boy and girl of course fall in love, everything is fine and dandy all the way through, no good guys harmed greatly, super-happy ending"-movie (you know, the way that ALL Disney movies have been ever since the very 1st, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (learn to spell, Disney!)). Go see it! Bring your kids!
Rating: 
Summary: An outstanding breath of fresh air
Review: Spirited Away is yet another masterpiece from Japan's undisputed master of animation. Although I did not enjoy it as much as Princess Mononoke, I was more entertained by this film than by any Disney movie made in the past five years. Speaking of Disney, I thought I would clear up a few misconceptions that some people have concerning this film. Firstly, for those people who complain that Miyazaki's films (as well as other anime) are for adults, and not children, I should point out that Miyazaki has explicitly stated that Spirited was made for young girls. (in other words, Chihiro's age) This doesn't mean that the film can only be enjoyed by pre-pubescant girls (I myself am a 22 year old male); it just means that you should not go into this film expecting something geared towards adults, the way Mononoke was.
Now I have noticed several people on this site comparing Spirited to Disney. Everyone seems to agree that it is nothing like Disney, because it is scary. Some parents even go so far to say that Spirited is inappropriate for children. Let me just say that you are all both right and wrong on this issue. Spirited Away is nothing like Disney as it is NOW. However, if you look at classics like Snow White, and especially Pinocchio, you'll see that these films have much more in common with Spirited Away than with, say, Hercules, or Tarzan. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who claims that Spirited is too scary for children ought to remember what Disney used to be like. In Snow White, the wicked Queen ordered the huntsman to cut out Snow White's heart. Even more telling, in Pinocchio, the main character ends up on an island for wicked children, who are mercilessly transformed into beasts and sold into slavery. Can you honestly say that this is somehow more wholesome or less nightmarish than what goes on in Spirited? Anyone who remembers these films recognizes that Spirited Away's often nightmarish sense of morality and justice (parents being turned into pigs for their greed) is not novel to the American imagination, but something old, something many of us have clearly forgotten, even though we saw these very films as children! This harkens back to a time when Americans had a much clearer sense of morality, a much greater willingness to recognize an absolute line between right and wrong. For me, this is refreshing, for you it may not be. As for your children being scared, I agree it is a possibility. I was scared when I saw Snow White and Pinocchio, yet I enjoyed those two films immensely. Moreover, they are both considered to be undisputed classics of American animation. So to all those parents who think they can comfortably dismiss Spirited Away as some alien abomination, you had better look closer to home, because it may not be quite as alien as you thought.
Rating:
Summary: A Lesson For Disney
Review: While Major Hollywood studios believe the audiences are tired of watching plain hand-drawn cartoons and began to incorporate more special effects into 2-D animation, yet with disappointing results (Titan A.E., Atlantis, and the most recent Treasure Planet), they have almost totally given up on traditional animation, and focus on producing 3-D computer animation. After a series of successful and charming CG cartoon, one could not help but to wonder: is this the end of hand-drawn cartoon artists? (some may argue that they could get the job as storyboard artists) The point that they are really missing is, what is missing from the recent 2-D animation features, is not the blasting visual effects, or floor cracking sounds. The real thing that is missing from them is a "heart". See "Toy Story", "A Bug's Life", and "Monsters, Inc." (all produced by Pixar Studio, who is, in the writer's opinion, superior than their rival competitors), while they are indeed visually revolutionary, the focus is still on story telling - story that combines humor, excitement, and ultimately family-oriented heart-warming theme. "Spirited Away" is simply magical, enchanting, funny, and genuinely touching. In the beginning of the film some may be distracted by the in comparison lower frame-rate (i.e. the character movements may not seem as smooth compare to the Hollywood animations), but you will not be able to help but to awe at each beautifully rendered frame. The artistic level and the use of colors in the drawing are all first class. Moreover, 30 minutes into the film, you will probably forget it is drawings that you are watching, because everything inside the screen all comes alive! (Perhaps because it reaches a certain realistic level, some of the scene may be too grizzly and scary) It did not become the highest grossing movie in Japan ever for no reason, and it certainly deserves more attention it received in the western world. The ballroom scene in "Beauty and the Beast" never fails to bring tears in my eyes, and it reminds us why we watch cartoon in the beginning. "Spirited Away" achieves in the same way, and it achieves it like a breeze among all these competitions today.
Rating:
Summary: A WONDEROUS FILM
Review: This is the kind of film one should come to expect from the Grand Master of Animation. Miyzaki sensei has created yet another wonderful film full of the rich story telling and character development we saw in Princess Mononoke. Along with the adventerous spirit of Kiki's Delevery Service. As with Kiki, Chihiro's/Sen's discovery of a new and unfiamilar world is somewhat frightening at first. But as she adjusts to her new suroundings, Sen begins to see her new world in all its intracasess. The films PG rating is right on the money. It is not for real young kids. So, parents should use their own judgement. Although I would consider this film to be something that everyone would enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Spirited Away
Review: This is a wonderful good-hearted movie. If you are into happy endings this movie is for you. Three cheers for the animaters and story line, voices and all the behind the scenes people that made this movie, it is wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Even The Purists should Be happy
Review: Disney for the past years, has botched the releases of Miyazaki movies. Princess Mononoke is a prime example of a botched Disney Release. But what most anti-dub anime purists don't realize is that, even though disney practically ignores this owned publishing right, when it comes to dubs they are excellent. The entire thing is very well casted an on par with the original japanese voice overs. Each voice fits the characer acurately. The Dubs story is also very well and acurately translated, my compliments to disney writers. Another smart move for disney was to keep the original Japanese track with which has created the movies original buzz. My only hope is that the purists would for once actually ...listen to the dub. As for the Subtitles they are a direct translation, and actually stray from the dub version a bit to acurately portray all the chinese mythology which didnt completely transition in the english version.
The movie itself is worthy of an Academy Award. it tells the story of a young girl on a quest for in a words knowledge. She meets many allies as well as enemies along the way. The whole thing wraps this somewhat simple story into a more complex arc with the addition of classic oriental mythology. It uses a very well-done orchestral track by Joe Hisaishi, as well as the classic animation of Ghibli Studios to top of this excellent story. This is definately a must-have for any family, anime-fan, or people in search of the perfect movie.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Movie!
Review: Though I have never seen it in English, the japanese version of this movie is fantastic. It leads you in to a fantasy world beyond belief. A world of greed, where a single girl over comes all odds in order to save her parents and new friends.
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